Coco puts on the shoes she borrowed from Agott. Each one has half of a seal on the bottom, so she has to press her feet together to activate it. She tries to float but has no control and immediately crashes into a bush. She manages to get back up, but a brushbuddy lands on her head and sends her crashing down again. A brushbuddy is a small, furry, snake-like creature attracted to conjuring ink. It’s actually kind of cute. When Coco regains her bearings, she realizes she landed in a river and the seals on the shoes have washed off.
Back at the atelier, Agott tells Tetia that Coco is taking “the test.” She makes it clear she won’t tolerate anyone who can’t keep up with her. Her feelings are understandable. She worked hard to earn her place, while Coco was handed the role. But instead of proving herself, she sets Coco up to fail.
Coco gets the Diadem Herb
During the test, Coco creates a pigment stone and uses it to draw a seal on her cloak. She tries to use it like a sail, but when she activates it, the cloak tears away. Instead of losing it, she grabs hold and uses it to glide through the air. With that, she’s able to reach the Diadem Herb.
Qifrey returns and learns Coco went to take the test. He’s shocked and wants to stop her, but interfering would mean she fails. He creates a window just as Coco comes back with the herb. Coco tries to hand it to Agott, but Agott walks away in anger. Qifrey scolds Coco for being reckless and tells her she never needed to take the test—she was already his apprentice.
At the same time, in the Dada Mountains, a Brimmed Hat witch stands at the summit and says “the seed has sprouted.” Both he and Qifrey imply that Coco is important in some way. Despite her inexperience, she’s already shown real talent.
